Published Oct 22, 20251 minute readA concept image of the beluga whale sanctuary planned for Port Hilford in the Sherbrooke area of Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. Photo by The Whale Sanctuary Project /ContributedArticle contentThe Nova Scotia government has approved issuing a lease to the Whale Sanctuary Project for an 83-hectare area on land and sea for operating and maintaining a seaside sanctuary.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe 20-year lease is renewable for a second 20-year term.Article contentArticle contentThe province issued the order in council Tuesday after getting a report and recommendation from former natural resources minister Tory Rushton on Oct. 10.Article contentArticle contentThe Whale Sanctuary Project was incorporated in the United States and has an office in Sherbrooke, Guysborough County.Article contentThe organization said in a news release that the approval “means that the Whale Sanctuary Project now has a clear path to begin construction and to raise the capital funds to complete the sanctuary and welcome the first whales. . . . This is a great day for the whale sanctuary and for the whales. We look forward to pressing ahead in every way to establish the whale sanctuary.”Article contentIt said that in the coming days it will have an update on what whales are prospects for coming to the sanctuary, recent progress and how the public can support construction, the health and behaviour evaluations and medical care of the whales at their present locations, transportation to the sanctuary and their continuing care.Article contentThe organization said a “growing collaboration among non-profit organizations, marine parks and aquariums, and governments at all levels is paving the way for a global effort to bring an end to the captivity of whales and dolphins and to retire them to sanctuary.”Article contentThe news was met with a lot of celebration on the group’s Facebook page but also pessimism that it could take too long to help beluga whales at the shuttered Marineland in Ontario.Article content
Nova Scotia approves lease for whale sanctuary project
